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Home › Exam notes › UPSC Civil Services › Agriculture

Agriculture

Economics

Useful for: UPSC Civil Services, OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher, OSSC Economics, OSSSC Govt TGT Arts, SSB Lecturer (Degree Colleges), SSB TGT Arts

Overview

Agriculture employs a large share of India’s workforce on mostly small holdings; raising incomes, resilience and productivity is central to food security.

Key points

  • Small and marginal farmers hold the large majority of operational holdings (about 86% in the Agriculture Census 2015–16).
  • The Ashok Dalwai Committee examined doubling farmers’ income.
  • PM-KISAN provides direct income support; PM Fasal Bima Yojana (2016) provides crop insurance.
  • Soil Health Cards (2015) guide balanced fertiliser use.
  • A scheme to promote 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations was launched in 2020.
  • Challenges include fragmented holdings, water stress, price volatility and climate risk.

Explanation

  • Allied sectors (dairy, fisheries, livestock) raise incomes faster.
  • Market access and storage reduce distress sales.
  • Credit access through Kisan Credit Cards needs wider coverage.
  • Agricultural research and extension need revival.
  • Women farmers lack land titles and access to services.

Step by step

  1. Identify the concept, law or fact asked.
  2. Recall the definition, formula, example or year.
  3. Apply it and eliminate mismatched options.

Examples

  • Q: "Suggest measures to double farmers’ income." → Productivity, cost reduction, prices, allied activities, non-farm jobs; schemes; gaps.
  • Q: "Evaluate PMFBY." → Design; coverage; claim delays; reforms.
  • Q: "Role of FPOs." → Collective bargaining, inputs, markets; challenges; support.

Traps and advanced points

  • Trap: Ignoring allied sectors.
  • Trap: Wrong share of small farmers.
  • Trap: Only listing schemes.

Quick revision

  • ~86% small and marginal holdings.
  • PMFBY 2016; Soil Health Card 2015.
  • 10,000 FPOs (2020).

Practice MCQs

  1. From the perspective of definition and scope, which one of the following statements about Agriculture & Food Security is correct?

    1. Food security includes availability, access, utilization and stability.
    2. Food security is fully achieved once national cereal production rises, regardless of access or nutrition.
    3. Agriculture & Food Security is unrelated to institutions, processes or real-world applications.
    4. Agriculture & Food Security has no exceptions or limitations in exam analysis.

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    Answer: (a) Food security includes availability, access, utilization and stability.. Food security includes availability, access, utilization and stability.

  2. Consider the following statements on Agriculture & Food Security, focusing on definition and scope: 1. Food security is fully achieved once national cereal production rises, regardless of access or nutrition. 2. Food security includes availability, access, utilization and stability. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

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    Answer: (b) 2 only. Statement 2 is correct; Statement 1 is a common misconception.

  3. With reference to Agriculture & Food Security (definition and scope), consider the following statements: 1. Food security is fully achieved once national cereal production rises, regardless of access or nutrition. 2. Food security includes availability, access, utilization and stability. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

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    Answer: (b) 2 only. Only statement 2 is correct.

  4. Small and marginal farmers hold about what share of operational holdings?

    1. about 86%
    2. about 25%
    3. about 99%
    4. about 50%

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    Answer: (a) about 86%. Agriculture Census.

  5. Crop insurance under PM Fasal Bima Yojana began in —

    1. 2010
    2. 2016
    3. 2019
    4. 2021

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    Answer: (b) 2016. 2016.

  6. Soil Health Cards (2015) guide —

    1. balanced fertiliser use
    2. crop prices
    3. land records only
    4. irrigation tax

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    Answer: (a) balanced fertiliser use. Nutrient-based advice.

  7. PM-KISAN provides —

    1. direct income support
    2. crop insurance
    3. cold storage
    4. tractors

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    Answer: (a) direct income support. Income transfer to farmers.

  8. A scheme to promote 10,000 FPOs was launched in —

    1. 2010
    2. 2023
    3. 2015
    4. 2020

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    Answer: (d) 2020. Farmer Producer Organisations, 2020.

  9. The committee on doubling farmers’ income was headed by —

    1. Y. K. Alagh
    2. Ashok Dalwai
    3. M. S. Swaminathan
    4. Shanta Kumar

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    Answer: (b) Ashok Dalwai. Dalwai Committee.

  10. A key challenge of Indian agriculture is —

    1. excess mechanisation everywhere
    2. fragmented holdings
    3. too much land per farmer
    4. no monsoon dependence

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    Answer: (b) fragmented holdings. Also water stress and price volatility.

More topics in this chapter

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.